Access San Francisco
Public Access Television for San Francisco
Status Update as of August 31, 2009
- Final Transition To BAVC Management Happens September 1, 2009
The City of San Francisco Department of Technology (DT), the San Francisco Community Television Corporation (SFCTC), and the Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) all mutually agreed to enact the final managment transition of public access on September 1, 2009.
As of September 1, public access is no longer be "Access San Francisco," but instead is renamed to "SF Commons." SF Commons, still located at 1720 Market Street, has new hours, new staff, and new services. For more information about SF Commons and it contact information, see the SF Commons website.
Access SF staff member Arnel Valle is working with BAVC/SF Commons staff temporarily during the month of September at 1720 Market Street. Former Access SF Programming Coordinator Chris Ferejohn is joining the BAVC/SF Commons team for a few months as well.
To contact SF Commons after August 31, 2009, call the media center at 415-575-4949. You may email SF Commons at commons@bavc.org.
Please note that you will not be able to contact any former Access San Francisco staff members at their former "accessf.org" email addreses, as all those accounts are disabled as of September 1st. Check with BAVC for the email addresses of their SF Commons staff.
If you have questions for the SFCTC that are not related to public access services as of September 1st and forward, please see the SFCTC website for contact information.
Status Update as of July 2, 2009
- City Announces New Access Manager
- Access SF in Transition for Next Few Months
Since 1999, the annual operations of Access San Francisco have been funded primarily through a multi-year renewable City and County of San Francisco (the City) grant agreement. The source of this grant funding came from public, education, and government (PEG) funding obligations the City required and collected from local cable operators under the terms of SF cable franchise agreements. The City's 1999 grant agreement with the San Francisco Community Television Corporation (SFCTC) to operate Access SF (and the source of the grant funds) expired June 30, 2009. For complex reasons, the City is not creating a new grant agreement to operate Access SF at the same funding level it previously funded Access SF. Without the former level of funding, Access SF cannot operate as it has since 1999.
In early 2009, the City initiated a Request for Proposals (RFP) process to find a local non-profit entity to operate Access SF at a significantly-reduced funding level. The SFCTC opted not to bid on the RFP for the reduced funding level proposed by the City. You can read more about the City's process to find a new management entity at their Department of Technology (DT) website page about public access.
As a result of their RFP process, DT recently announced their intention to award a new public access grant agreement to the Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC). The SFCTC offers its congratulations and best wishes to BAVC, its staff and Board. The SFCTC will be cooperating with DT and BAVC in a smooth transition of management responsibilities over the next several months. DT and BAVC will still need to negotiate a contract and have it approved through a City process. The timeline and other details of the transition have yet to be determined. The SFCTC wishes to thank the producers, volunteers, nonprofit organizations and others who have participated in public access during its tenure managing the facilities and channels.
DT has extended the current expiring grant agreement with the SFCTC to continue management of public access on a limited basis until September 30, 2009. DT has asked the SFCTC to continue management of the facilities and channels until a transition to the new management entity can be completed.
During the grant agreement extension period (July 1 to September 30), the public access facility is open for video drop off and pick up as well as access to the flash studio. All other services including training and access to the main studio, editing suite and field equipment have been suspended until further notice.